


in the pines

by GayKravitz



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Dissociation, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Post-Weirdmageddon, Seriously 0 Ships, no ships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 04:12:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15573495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GayKravitz/pseuds/GayKravitz
Summary: Mabel’s hair stuck to her wet cheeks as she half screamed and half sobbed in her sleep, gripping tightly onto her brother as he cradled her. He sung softly, a mindless pop song that he could barely hear over her loud sobs and wheezing breathes, but he knew she could hear him just fine. Dipper’s back aches from sitting in that position for so long. It didn’t matter. She would do it for him.It’s not the first time.





	in the pines

**Author's Note:**

> im gonna be posting OSAS in december, right after nanowrimo! you can count on it! in the meantime, enjoy some lightly connected oneshots.
> 
> dont u even fuckin dare read this as anything but platonic or ill literally fucking end your life

Mabel’s hair stuck to her wet cheeks as she half screamed and half sobbed in her sleep, gripping tightly onto her brother as he cradled her. He sung softly, a mindless pop song that he could barely hear over her loud sobs and wheezing breathes, but he knew she could hear him just fine. Dipper’s back aches from sitting in that position for so long. It didn’t matter. She would do it for him.

It’s not the first time.

The first time was terrifying. It was only a day after coming back from Gravity Falls. The entire house was silent, except it wasn’t at the same time. The buzz of street lamps and the hum of the distant yet close freeway filled Mabel’s fitful sleep with static.

It was hard, sleeping in separate rooms again.

Mabel was dreaming. She knew she was, which is what made it scarier. The world around her was greyscale and she could see her past mistakes laid out in front of her. A pile of burnt sock puppets, a torn up poster from her 13th birthday-

The shattered container that once held the rift.

When her eyes landed on this, the scene changed. The sky split open, horrors and nightmares raining down and she gasped. She watched Gravity Falls turn into a warzone before her very eyes and it was-

_All thanks to you, Shooting Star!_

The high and manic laughter filled her head, blurring her thoughts and making her cry out. She could see Dipper and Stan and Ford being held in the air, all of them with

wide

yellow

eyes.

All of them laughing at her.

All of them

burning

in front of her.

All of them

screaming

for her.

All of them

dying

because

of

YOU.

_SEE YOU NEXT SUMMER, KID_

She screamed herself awake. She Was sobbing violently, every single atom in her body shaking and trembling so hard she could barely scrape her nails against her face. She held her head in her hands and screamed for Dipper, only to have him almost kick the door down into her room with a terrified and worried look. She felt immediate relief as he grabbed her hands and tore them away from her eyes.

He begged for her to look at him and she shook her head. She just wanted to pretend it was actually Dipper. She didn’t want to look up and see those dangerous eyes and lose everyone all over again it was her fault she was _stupid worthless selfish Bill should have finished me off-_

“He’s not here Mabel, look into my eyes. Please, god, Mabel, look at me!” Dipper was panicking, trying desperately to get her to just look at him. He couldn’t even see her eyes and that made him panic further because what if it wasn’t her, he couldn’t bear to ever see her like that-

“Mason?! Mabel?!” Their mother stood in the doorway, their father running up behind her holding a wooden bat. “We heard screaming, are you two okay?!”

Dipper swallowed his fear as Mabel continued sob screaming. Every breath came out like she was drowning. “W- We’re okay. Mabel just had a nightmare.”

His mom bit her lip and walked closer, their father walking away with a heavy sigh. “Mabel, sweetie…?”

Mabel’s entire body froze up and she gripped Dipper’s hands in hers with every ounce of strength she had left. She was locking up, trying to protect herself. That wasn’t good.

“M-Mom, you should go back to bed.” Dipper suggested. “I’ve got it.”

Their mother hesitated. “...If you say so. Get some sleep, okay? And take care of your sister.”

Dipper nodded and their mother went away. He heard a pause in footsteps before his parents’ bedroom door opened and then shut softly behind her. Dipper sighed out in relief, turning his full attention to Mabel.

He slowly took her hands and uncurled her fingers and wrapped her arms around him. She fell onto him, sobbing and making noises that broke his heart to hear come from his twin. She kept shaking her head into his chest, muttering to herself.

“Mabel, please, look at me.” He’s pleading and Mabel just lets out another sob and presses closer to him.

“Just- Just let- let me bel-believe i-it’s really Dipper. I ca-can’t- I-“ She sobs again, her shoulder shaking and Dipper feels tears in his own eyes now. “Just pre-pretend for me. Pl- _please, Bill_.”

Dipper feels his stomach drop and his throat tighten as the tears begin to spill. “It’s- It’s me, Mabel.” He can barely get the words out, he’s choking up. “Please. I’m real. I’m real. He’s not here, I swear.” He’s so desperate now, he’s trying the force her to face him, but her eyes are screwed shut. “Please! Mabel, it’s me!” He yells and Mabel shakes her head violently, holding Dipper’s hands so tightly it hurts.

Dipper pulls a hand away and runs it down his face. This was bad. This was bad. She really didn’t think any of this was real! Oh god, what if she never did? Mabel was going to be lost forever and crap, it was all his fault! He couldn’t convince her, she wouldn’t look at his eyes. Mom and Dad couldn’t help, they don’t know anything about what happened, but who else could he turn to?

He lets out a sob and fumbles for his cellphone, his tears blurring his vision and his lungs burning from disuse. He finds any contact that says ‘Stan’ and dials it, pressing his phone to his ear as he rubs Mabel’s back.

Someone picks up after the fourth ring. “Hey, kiddo, what’re you doing up so late?” Grunkle Stan’s voice sends such a wave of relief through Dipper that he lets out a gasping sob, smiling slightly. “Dipper? Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“Ma- Mabel she- she had a nightmare and now she doesn’t think I’m real and I can’t get her to look at me!” Dipper tries his best to control his breathing but he’s stumbling over his words and can barely get them out at all. “She- she thinks I’m Bill and I can’t- she’s trapped- it’s my fault!”

“Kid, kid, slow down and breathe.” Stan intructs, and Dipper nods and tries to breathe like Ford showed him once. In through the nose, hold, out through the mouth. In the nose, out the mouth. He repeats this until he can breathe without issue, Mabel still shaking in his arms. “You okay? Are you done panicking?”

“Yeah.” Dipper whispers, sniffling. “I’m okay now.”

“Okay, put it on speaker.” Dipper obeys and does it, turning the volume up loud enough for Mabel to hear. “Mabel, sweetheart?”

Mabel looks up at the voice, her eyes still not meeting Dipper’s. “Grunkle Stan?”

“Hey, sweetie. You okay?”

Mabel shakes her head again, tightening her arms around her brother. “Why- How are you here? You- You aren’t- You forgot-“

“You helped me, remember, kiddo? You got my memories back.” Stan says through the phone, and Mabel sobs.

“No! No, no, this isn’t real.” She cries. “This isn’t real. It’s not real.”

“It’s real, I promise. Please, look at Dipper. Look into his eyes.” Stan begs.

“No, no please! I jus-just wanna pretend. Just a little lo-longer, Bill, please!” She screams the last word, and Dipper feels hot tears streaming down his face. “Please. Please, I-I…”

“Mabel, sweetheart, I promise you it’s Dipper. It’s all real, I’m really talking to you. It’s okay. Dipper is right there with you. I swear.” Stan sounds like he’s choking up too. “Just look into his eyes. Just look, Mabel, it’s okay.”

Mabel holds very still, almost like a statue, before she slowly raises her head. Her brown curls act like a curtain as she looks up into Dipper’s eyes, her own so scared and desperate. She searches him, trying to find any shred of evidence that he wasn’t real. There was nothing, and she let out a relieved sob.

“Dipper.” She cries, not taking her eyes off of her brother. “You’re really here.”

Dipper just gives her a watery smile. “I’m here. I promise.”

She wraps her arms around his shoulders and pulls him close, her breathing still ragged and tears still falling from her eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.”

“I know, Mabel, it’s okay.” Dipper smiles, thankful to have his sister back. “It’s over now. He’s gone. He’s dead.”

She nods and rests her chin on his shoulder. They sway together in their hug, Mabel sniffling softly and Dipper following her breathing. He grabs the phone and turns off the speaker, bringing it to his ear. “Thanks, Grunkle Stan.”

“Anytime. You call me or Ford anytime you need help, okay? We’ll always be there.” Stan assures, and Dipper smiles.

“Can I talk to him?” Mabel asks quietly, and Dipper nods.

“I’m giving you to Mabel.” He tells him, and hands Mabel the phone, which she takes and sits up on her knees.

“Hi, Grunkle Stan.” She says softly into the phone, smiling. “I’m okay now. Yeah. Promise.”

She looks up at Dipper with a smile. “Yeah. Thank you.” There's a pause before she sits up a little straighter, grinning wide. “Is Grunkle Ford there? Yeah!” Dipper smiles, watching his sister light up again. “Hi, Grunkle Ford. Yeah, I’m fine now. Dipper and Stan helped. I know. Love you, too. Okay. I will.” She hands the phone to Dipper, who takes it and puts it to his ear.

“Dipper?” He hears Ford say. “I heard what happened, are you okay?”

“Hey, Great Uncle Ford. I’m fine. Your breathing exercises really helped.”

“That’s great! I’m proud of you, my boy.”

“Wait, why?”

“You helped your sister. I know first hand that dissociation like that is difficult to get through. You did great, calling Stan like that.”

Dipper smiles softly and looks at Mabel. “Thanks, Great Uncle Ford.”

“You two should try and get back to sleep now. We’ll talk to you in the morning, okay?”

“Okay.” Dipper agrees, knowing full well neither of them will probably be able to get any sleep. “I love you guys.”

“We love you both, too.”

“I love you two more than he does!” Stan shouts from a distance, making Dipper grin.

“That’s a lie, we both love you two equally. Goodnight, Dipper.”

“Night.” Dipper hangs up and tosses his phone onto the bed. Mabel sits cross-legged in front of him, playing with the hem of her night gown.

“Thanks, brobro.” Mabel says gratefully, rubbing the back of her neck. “Sorry about freaking you out.”

Dippers shakes his head. “No worries. I know you would do the same for me.”

Mabel grins and wraps her arms around her brother again, not wanting to let him go just yet.

 

**Author's Note:**

> gaykravitzart.tumblr.com


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